Marine Corps small units, raid forces, and ground reconnaissance teams have long recognized the need for rapid, extended range, deep maneuver in ground mobility assets coupled with remote firepower that will allow secure observation, movement and violence of action in the objective area. As the battlefield expands and the Navy/Marine Corps team operates more extensively in the littoral environment, these mobility assets will require vertical transport to the objective areas. This will necessitate smaller, lighter, and more capable vehicles that must be internally transportable in the MV-22 to support Operational Maneuver From the Sea (OMFTS).

Only the World War II vintage M-151 jeep can fit in the V-22 cargo area -- the HMMWV and the Chenowith Corporation's Fast Attack Vehicle (FAV) are too large. SOCOM and the Marines are developing the Light Strike Vehicle (LSV), since renamed the Internally Transportable Vehicle (ITV), for deployment with the Osprey. The Marine Corps Systems Command (MARCORSYSCOM) Internally Transportable Vehicle (ITV) Program Office is finalizing their requirements for procurement of a follow-on capability to the "Interim" Fast Attack Vehicle (IFAV). The strategy for this procurement is founded upon the following tenets of acquisition reform:

Strategy Definition with extensive Industry Participation;

Use of Non-Developmental Item (NDI) solutions;

Award of up to Two (2) Contracts for Field User Evaluations (FUE’s) with Marine Corps and US Army special operational units;

Downselect based upon "fly off" concept (e.g., capabilities demonstration); and

Award of a single, production contract.

The current fleet of light tactical vehicles, the aging M151-A2 Fast Attack Vehicle and the High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), are approaching the end of service life. The HMMWV remanufacture program will extend the service life another 7-10 years but the vehicle will remain incapable of internal transport in the MV-22. The Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Targeting Vehicle (RST-V) was being developed as an advanced technology demonstrator, incorporating advanced power/propulsion, mobility, and survivability technologies to address this deficiency.

The Marine Corps Systems Command has redefined its acquisition strategy to take advantage of the maturity of solutions available in the marketplace. This new approach will focus on non-developmental solutions, and leverage research and development efforts that have been accomplished by the Government to date. MARCORSYSCOM intends to reduce the structure of the formal acquisition approach in favor of a non-developmental approach that will also leverage "value added" technologies to achieve immediate and long term goals.

The "fly off/demonstration" contract phase will result in extensive involvement of Marine Corps personnel and US Army special operations forces to assess mission suitability, supportability concepts (e.g., training requirements and logistics), and performance objectives. Throughout this evaluation period, feedback will be provided to the Contractors to support final vehicle configuration. At the conclusion of this phase, an evaluation report will be issued to the respective Contractors based upon operational and technical assessments of their vehicles. A final production solicitation will be issued at the completion of this phase to allow Offerors to submit revised pricing consistent with their final vehicle configuration and supportability approach. A single contract will be awarded for production of twenty-five hundred (2500) to three thousand (3000) base cargo vehicles to support the acquisition objective.

The Government intends on award of a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) (minimum order 373 vehicles/maximum order 4,000 vehicles) contract in July 2000. Approximately ten (10)pre-production configured vehicles shall be delivered within twelve (12) months of contract award for verification and safety certification testing. Initial Operational Test and Evaluation will take place within 24 months after contract award. Production of the baseline configuration shall commence after successful completion of Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E).

Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Targeting Vehicle (RST-V)

The US Marine Corps planned a new Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Targeting Vehicle (RST-V) that was intended to be a highly survivable and mobile V-22 internally transportable ground vehicle to perform long range Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Targeting Acquisition (RSTA) missions in cooperation with Small Unit Operations. High mobility and integrated survivability will be key technology drivers to provide a leap-ahead capability over any fielded or add on systems for current vehicles. Sensors and C4I systems are to be non-developmental but should leverage existing electro-optic and communication programs.

The RST-V will carry three to four Marines on long-range reconnaissance, surveillance and targeting missions. When operating using only stored electric power, the RST-V will be capable of silent movement and silent watch. Its high mobility and integrated survivability system will provide a leap-ahead capability over many fielded and add-on vehicle systems.

The RST-V platform will provide a mobile quick deployment and deep insertion capable, multi-sensor, battlespace awareness asset for small unit tactical reconnaissance teams, fire support coordinators, and special reconnaissance forces. The vehicle will host integrated precision geolocation, communication and RST sensor subsystems provided by DARPA’s Small Unit Operations Program. Critical components and technologies include a high efficiency, reduced signature hybrid electric propulsion system with increased fuel economy; an advanced suspension to increase cross-country speed, and provide platform stabilization; an advanced integrated survivability suite; and the capability to operate in either a silent watch/silent movement or mechanical mode. The vehicle will incorporate modularized design components to allow for signature management and rapid reconfiguration for mission tailoring and multiple purpose utility.

The objective of this ATD is to design, fabricate, test, and demonstrate platforms with advanced mobility (all terrain, highly agile, hybrid electric drive, exceeds HMMWV capabilities), survivability (suppression of all signatures, camouflage/concealment treatment, and silent operation), sensor suite (on-board, extended range, multi-spectral imaging and sensing, target acquisition, target designation), and command and control (long range, secure, positioning/navigating, cooperative engagement tactics) capabilities. The resulting vehicles must be capable of internal transport via a V-22 aircraft. The vehicles must be durable with extended sustainability and will be utilized for quick insertion, tactical and deep reconnaissance, and special forces operations. It is planned that the ATD will deliver at least two platforms before the end of fiscal year 2000 for testing and maturation.

The RST-V Advanced Technology Demonstration [ATD] technical objective is to develop, test, evaluate, and demonstrate a highly mobile, survivable scout vehicle that incorporates advanced power/propulsion, mobility, and survivability technologies and is MV-22 internally transportable. The technologies that this vehicle will incorporate include: hybrid electric drive, ground-up design and integration of advanced survivability/signature management technologies, advanced mobility, and integrated communications and sensor packages to implement the RST mission. The government expects to demonstrate increased all terrain mobility, agility, survivability, payload capability, and twice the fuel economy of a current HMMWV in a MV-22 internally transportable package. In addition, the government intends to demonstrate that the incorporation of hybrid electric drive and advanced suspension technologies will yield increased cross country speed, improved acceleration, burst recharge ability for man portable batteries, silent watch and movement capability when operating on battery power only and increased electrical power for communications and sensor packages. These vehicles will provide a sensor and communications platform which will support the DARPA Small Unit Operations (SUO), Marine Corps Advanced Warfighting Experiments, and the Navy/USMC Extending the Littoral Battlespace (ELB) ACTD for the ground mobility and RST missions. Technologies demonstrated and lessons learned from this program may serve as a catalyst for full-scale production of a family of RST-V type military scout vehicles.

The approach of the RST-V ATD is to identify and demonstrate advanced capabilities for light tactical and combat wheeled vehicles that fulfill future Marine Corps reconnaissance, surveillance and targeting missions supporting OMFTS. Multiple platforms will be designed, fabricated, and tested with the eventual goal of full system capability and demonstration. The key to the success of the RST-V ATD is the integration of the technologies into a single MV-22 transportable platform. The program is divided into tasks that address key objectives in a systematic approach to technology development, integration and demonstration.

During Phase I, two contractor teams performed systems engineering studies and analyses, detailed design, and defined physical and functional hardware and software characteristics. Cost versus performance trade-off analyses were performed as part of the system/subsystem/component selection process.

The Joint Tactical Electric Vehicle, built DARPA's Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Technology Program, was used as a testbed for new components including traction motors and batteries. JTEV was designed from the ground up, using chassis and suspension technologies from desert race trucks. Rod Millen Special Vehicles provided chassis, suspension, and mobility systems, and Aerovironment, Inc. developed the hybrid-electric drivetrain.

COVER (Commander's Observation Vehicle for Elevated Reconnaissance) features an existing compact, electrically-tethered, ducted-fan lifting vehicle (Aerobot) mated to an existing highly-mobile, transportable vehicle (Flyer II ) that is representative of future scout and reconnaissance vehicles. The Phase I Design Study for DARPA by Perceptronics and its team members Moller International and Flyer Group includes review of mission applications, focusing on those currently identified for the RST-V and similar advanced vehicles.

On 10 November 1997 the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and US Marine Corps announced the two companies chosen for the first phase of the Joint Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Targeting Vehicle Advanced Technology Demonstrator program. Each company entered into a "Section 845/804 Other Transaction for Prototypes" agreement to receive approximately $3 million for the initial 13-month design phase. The selected companies are: Lockheed Martin Vought Systems, Grand Prairie, Texas, and General Dynamics Land Systems, Sterling Heights, Mich.

Each team designed a notional RST-V and conduct necessary systems engineering and capability trade-off studies. DoD provided a Systems Capability Document with system goals and three specific requirements -- that the vehicle be internally transportable in a V-22 aircraft, use a hybrid electric propulsion system, and include an integrated survivability suite. Beyond these three requirements, each team conducted trade-off studies to develop their optimum design.

Down selection to one contractor took place between Nov 98 and Jan 99 and resulted in a Phase II award on 20 Jan 99. DoD selected one team to build and test two vehicles in a 36-month second phase valued at approximately $22 million. In Phase II the winner will build two "Demonstrator" vehicles that will be tested by the contractor and the USMC under field conditions. This prototype is expected to participate in the USMC instrumented warfighting evaluation. Phase II will involve the build and test of two prototypes over a three year period.

During Phase II, two (2) RST-V demonstrator and two (2) baseline platforms shall be fabricated after design approval and fabrication release. The demonstrators will be fabricated to incorporate mobility, sensor, communications and classified survivability systems. One baseline will be configured as a general purpose platform with an open cargo compartment while the second baseline will be configured as a strike variant. The baseline vehicles will be used for mobility and durability testing and for V-22 compatibility tests.

Testing shall be conducted in two stages beginning in FY00. Stage I will commence in 2000 with contractor testing, the purpose of which will be to demonstrate conformance with the system specification developed in Phase I. Stage II testing will commence in 2001 and will consist of Government demonstrations which will address the vehicle's operational suitability with representative concepts of operation. This will address government technical demonstration objectives and it is intended that both demonstrator systems will be available to participate in the CAPABLE WARRIOR demonstration in FY01.

Phase II consists of a multi-year fabrication, testing, and demonstration effort. By the end of 2QFY00, the two demonstrator platforms shall be ready for commencement of contractor testing. By 4Q01, the two baseline platforms will be available for test and evaluation. Integrated Product Team meetings and In-Process Reviews will continue throughout Phase II.

The RST-V ATD program will produce two demonstration platforms and up to two baseline platforms. One of the baseline platforms will be offered to the Program Manager - Combat Support and Logistics Equipment for evaluation in FY01/02. Two of the platforms will participate in the Capable Warrior Advanced Warfighting Experiments (AWE) scheduled for FY01 and participate in the ITV test program. Technologies investigated and demonstrated and lessons learned during the RST-V program will be shared with the ITV program.

The RST-V program will be transitioned to Program Manager - Combat Support and Logistics Equipment in support of the Joint USMC - USSOCOM Internally Transportable Vehicle (ITV) program. Details of the transition plan can be found in the document "RST-V Program Transition Plan" dated 25 June 1998.
Survivability technologies will be available for transition to PM-LAV, UGV, AAV, and MEFFV. Sensor and C4I technologies will be available for transition to TVRSTA and PM-LAV. The two demonstrator and two baseline vehicles will be transitioned to the ITV and Interim Fast Attack Vehicle (IFAV) programs.

The DARPA Electric and Hybrid Electric Vehicle program is feeding RST-V in the area of propulsion technologies. Additionally, the RST-V program will utilize applicable resources, technology, and lessons learned from the DARPA SUO program. The USMC keeps the Army updated on the RST-V program because of the Army's desire for a lightweight future scout vehicle. There is a DARPA-Army-USMC letter of agreement for cooperative developments in electric drive applications.

This joint USMC/DARPA program utilizes Other Agreements Authority (Other transactions for Prototypes Section 845/804) for rapid prototyping and demonstrations. The USMC is technical lead and acquisition activity for the program and DARPA is the Program Manager. Under Section 845 ("Other Transactions for Prototypes") of Public Law 103-160, codified in 10 U.S.C. 2371, and subsequently modified in Section 804 of Public Law 104-201, DoD is able to support research and development by using streamlined procurement methods. The government retains maximum flexibility in these "other transactions" to apply only those policies, practices and standards that make sense on a case-by-case basis, and can, to a large extent, use generally accepted commercial practices. The use of Section 845/804 authorities allows the contractor team to be more creative in implementing a management framework and designing the vehicle system while allowing DoD to be a full Integrated Product Team member.